Why we are blessed to be writers

JasonRobert said:

Yeah, well the cold medicine I have been drinking by the gallon may have also influenced it.

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Drat, and I thought what I wrote tonight was brilliant....

* sigh *

Darn cold medicine ....

Darn cold ....

JasonRobert said:

Yeah, well the cold medicine I have been drinking by the gallon may have also influenced it.

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When I was 12 I overdosed on cold medicine and ended up staying awake the entire night hearing extremely loud pop songs play on repeat in my head. I'm jealous of the inspiration you got out of it

I haven't really much to say or add, but I know the feelings evidenced in the original post. It's a curse a lot of the time, but it's also a blessing.

JasonRobert said:

Aww! I am sure it was brilliant my dear. The cold medicine was just a conduit to help reach such brilliancy.

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Thanks!

I don't feel blessed to be a writer. I'm good at what I'm good at, and I'm extremely bad with numbers and dates. I wish I was a gifted musician but I'm not, so instead, I started a music publication so I could write about the gifted musicians (and the not so gifted).

I personally feel that everyone has a talent for at least one thing. I feel blessed that I found what I'm good at when so many others are lost for years, trying to figure out what they want to do (vs what they're doing). I also personally really dislike it when writers try to fit—and therefore reinforce—the stereotype of writers feeling morose and alone or lonely, but loving solitude at the same time. Fair enough if they actually do fit the stereotype of course....

Ooh, that was a bit of a rant! Sorry.

April Hollands said:

I don't feel blessed to be a writer. I'm good at what I'm good at, and I'm extremely bad with numbers and dates. I wish I was a gifted musician but I'm not, so instead, I started a music publication so I could write about the gifted musicians (and the not so gifted).

I personally feel that everyone has a talent for at least one thing. I feel blessed that I found what I'm good at when so many others are lost for years, trying to figure out what they want to do (vs what they're doing). I also personally really dislike it when writers try to fit—and therefore reinforce—the stereotype of writers feeling morose and alone or lonely, but loving solitude at the same time. Fair enough if they actually do fit the stereotype of course....

Ooh, that was a bit of a rant! Sorry.

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Not even close to a rant! I think that is so very true. Of course it remains to be seen if writing is what I am good at ...

And I used to wonder if the fact that anyone who knows me would agree that I am the farthest thing from feeling morose and alone or lonely, much less loving solitude, so does that mean I don't have what it takes to be a successful writer .... ?

I prefer to think of my "socialness" as fodder for the books!

My high school guidance counselor (who was like a hundred at the time, God love 'im) was always annoyed with my chattiness about colleges, careers, etc. I didn't actually think he knew anything about careers that I didn't, but ya know, I didn't want him to FEEL that way, so tell him my plans and ask tons of questions. One day when he was especially cranky, he told me I was a "militant extrovert." It was the best compliment I'd ever had. He wanted me to teach home economics or be a flight attendant. If I had discussed doing anything as solitary as writing, he'd probably have croaked in his chair.

Because we love to write, does that make us writers? If we can't spell and suffer from extreme comma misusage, does that take away from our story? What makes a writer? If you are published? If you have a completed novel? Well, I have been published on-line and have a completed novel and I don’t feel like a writer.

I am also going through my first professional edit, so that may be adding to my cynicism.

Nice post though. I wish I had your confidence right now!